Propulsion of vessels.



F. W. SUHROEDER.

PROPULSION OF VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED was, 1908.

955,214. Patent d Apr. 19, 1910..

. g M 416M 14/. WM 1 QHMMM A tend to elevate the vessel and thereb lessen portion of the stern there is provided a series of channels 2 disposed fore and aft and tends to increase the speed of the vessel and passage of water therethrough. lVhile the drawing shows the channels 'as formed d1- UNITED STATESPATENT 01 F E- FREDERICK W. SCHROEDER, OF LONDON, ENGLAND. I

PROPULSION "or VESSELS.

Application filed August 8,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK ILLIAM SOHROEDER, of the city and county of London, England, have invented. a new and useful Im roveinent in the Propulsion of Vessels, 0' which the following is a. full, clear, and .exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vessel equipped with the improvements of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the stern. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

This invention relates to the propulsion of vessels, and has for its object to eflec't the same in a new and improved'manner by means of air or gases under pressure acting directly against the water in such a manner as to propel the vessel by the impact of the: air or gas against the body of the water, as fully described in my co-pending application filed July 17, 1907, Serial No. 384,183.

In additionto propelling the vessel, it is proposed to have the air or gas ressurethe displacement thereof, which, of course,

enables the convenient handling thereof in shoal waters. By reasonlof the lifting effect of the present invention, it is especially adapted for deep-draft vessels, because of the reduction in displacement without ef-' fecting its carryingcapacity, and because it enables the handling of the vessel in relatively shoal waters where under ordinary circumstances it would be practically im possible to navigate.

To illustrate the application and operation of the present invention, there has ing, the stern portion of. any ordinary or preferred form of vessel. A As usual, the bottom of the stern is inclined upwardly and rearwardly, and upon this inclined bottom having their opposite ends open for the free rectly .in the hull, thereby producing irite-' gral keels 3 separating the channels, I, of course, contemplate producing the channels by means of separate keels attached to the vessel in any suitable manner. As best 1ndicated in Fig. 2 of the drawing, it will be Specification of Letters recent P t nted Apr. 19, 1910..

1903. Serial No. 447,589.

noted that each channel tapers forwardly so as to give a clearance; for the gas or air under pressure as will hereinafter appear.

In each channel is a propulsion tube 4 which is closed at each end, its forward end being tapered downwardly and rearwardly Y and its aft end rearwardly and upwardly so as to decrease the resistance of the tube against the water when the vessel is in motion. Throughout'th'e bottom of each tube there is provided a longitudinal -series of tions incline downwardly and rearwardly so as to impart a forward movement to the vessel when the air or gas under pressure is dis charged through the openings against the bodyof water. Each propulsion tube is in communication'with a header or tank, such, for instance, as indicated at 6, which 1s designed to be supplied with air or gas under pressure by ;any suitable pressure generating apparatus, the latter not being shown in'the drawings as it forms no part of the present invention. For an understanding of one embodiment of means for supplying pressure to the tank or header, reference is had to my co-pending appllcation hereinbefore enumerated.

In practice, air under ressurebeing admitted to the tank or header 6, is communicated to the several tubes, from which it escapes-downwardly and rearwardly through the perforations 5 against the body of water in which the vessel floats, whereby the latter the propelling tendency of the escape of the air or gas under pressure, there is also a lifting tendency due to the direction Of'lIIlpact of the pressure .against'the water, and as this lifting tendency is applied to the stern of the vessel, it is applied at the most will be driven forwardly. In addition to effective-portion of the hull and decreases thedfaft of the ;stern ortion of the vessel sufficiently to material y decrease the drag which is ordinarily present.

The advantage of having the propulsion tubes situatedln channels is that they are not onlyprotected against damage by drift WOQd and when striklng upon a bar or shoal, but the air-or gas under ressure 1S confined against immediate'latera ex ansion and is compelled to travel rearward y through the channel, thereby effecting its utmost propelling power. Moreover, the channels increase in cross-sectional area rearwardly so as to permit of the gradual lateral expansion of the air or gas under pressure as the latter travels rearwardly, thereby providing for the necessary clearance and enabling the pressure to escape throu h the rear open ends of the channels wit out causing any material disturbance in the water.

For the purpose of propelling the vessel astern, a suitable number of propulsion tubes 4 are situated beneath the forward portion of the hull in longitudinal open-ended channels 2. These tubes are connected in any suitable manner with the source of gas or air under pressure. The perforations 5' of the tubes 4' are inclined downwardly and forwardly, so that when the fluid pressure escapes through these perforations the vessel will be propelled astern.

Having thus described the invention, what chambers increasing in cross sectional area as they extend aft, and means for propelling the vessel by forcing air or as through said tubes, substantially as descri ed.

2. A deep draft vessel havin its hull provided with external submerge grooves, one series being located toward the bow, and a second series being located toward the stern, said second series being of increasing diameter as they extend a t, longitudinally arranged tubes in said grooves and having openings therein directed oppositely to the direction of scribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

F. SCHROEDER.

Witnesses:

OLIVER IMRAEL, OLIVER Y. IMRAY.

propulsion, substantially as de- 

